Feed Lot Magazine Online, Price Reporting Bill Expected to Pass Congress

Volume VII Number 5

September/October 1999

Price Reporting Bill Expected to Pass Congress

by David Bowser

The National Cattlemen's Beef Association's chief lobbyist expects to see a mandatory price reporting bill pass Congress and be on the President's desk by the end of September, although it may not be what some in the industry want.

Earlier this year Chandler Keys of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association's Washington office contacted congressional members and asked what it would take to get such a bill passed.

This Charolais bull is responsible for breeding at least 20 cows in this herd. In order to maintain high breeding rates, a proper evaluation, including semen quality and physical soundness, should be a routine practice with all bulls prior to the breeding season.

He got back a formal letter from Rep. Larry Combest, R-Tex., chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, and Charlie Stenholm, D-Tex., ranking Democrat of the House Agriculture Committee, asking NCBA to sit down with the major packers and discuss how they all would go about a price reporting bill, to come to a consensus that could be brought to Congress. He got a similar request, verbally, from the Senate Agriculture Committee.

After more than 20 meetings and conference calls with packers, they put a legislative package together.

"We came to a consensus package that I understand that not everyone in the industry is happy with," Keys said.

Keys said industry groups have a better chance at influencing legislation when they present a draft bill. If just the points of the bill are presented to legislative staffs, then Congressional lawyers draw up the bill and important items can be lost.

Keys said the proposed federal bills will preempt state reporting laws, but not state marketing legislation.

At their summer conference, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association's board of directors approved a resolution at its meeting concerning mandatory price reporting.

In addition to implementing mandatory price reporting for live cattle, boxed beef, beef imports and exports, NCBA said it supports continuation of the current voluntary price reporting system to enhance and augment any mandatory price reporting system that may be instituted. The board also voted to support mandatory price reporting by all federally inspected packers controlling or slaughtering 50,000 head or more annually.

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